THE FLAG
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🇺🇸 Deal Derailed

🇺🇸 Deal Derailed

Plus, a dinosaur that takes after Elvis.

July 28, 2023

Good morning, and happy Friday. A group of Arizona high school seniors came to the aid of a beloved teacher by raising nearly $10,000 to help cover the cost of his wife’s crucial heart surgery.

Plus, a recently discovered dinosaur fossil revealed a bony structure on its head that made it look like this rockstar’s notable quiff.

Also, today’s sponsor is bullish on making sure you get your money’s worth. Are you?

QUICK CLICKS

Heat Wave Hazard Alert, UFO Biologics, North Korea and Russia Teaming Up

US: Feinstein gets confused in Senate Appropriations hearing and has to be prodded to vote (CNN)

US: Biden announces first-ever heat wave "hazard alert" for workers (Axios)

US: US recovered non-human 'biologics' from UFO crash sites, former intel official says (NPR)

US: House starts August recess early despite looming shutdown deadlines (Axios)

US: Trump accused of asking staffer to delete camera footage in Florida classified documents case (AP)

World: After new law, Netanyahu vows to keep attorney general and return felon to office (NPR)

World: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets with Russian defense minister to discuss military cooperation (AP)

Environment: Last of nearly 100 pilot whales stranded on Australia beach are euthanized after getting rescued – then re-stranded (CBS News)

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JUSTICE

Deal Derailed

Earlier this week the plea deal in Hunter Biden’s criminal case unraveled during a court hearing after a federal judge raised concerns about the terms of the agreement. Here’s the news coverage from both sides:

Reporting from the Left: Takeaways from the stunning Hunter Biden hearing and what happens now (CNN)

Reporting from the Right: Hunter Biden pleads 'not guilty' as plea deal falls apart during Delaware court appearance (Fox News)

From The Flag: There were numerous points of disagreement and requests for clarification throughout the hearing. Initially expected to plead “guilty,” Hunter Biden eventually plead "not guilty" to two charges of failure to pay taxes until the two sides can meet and address the questions posed by Judge Noreika. Here’s how both sides are reacting to the development.

LEFT-LEANING SENTIMENT

Republicans Are Reveling

Republicans regularly claim a double-standard in the treatment of Trump vs. Hunter, and Hunter’s current situation vindicates them.
Members of the right wasted no time to celebrate the judge’s decision, and some have accused the Biden family of acting as foreign agents.
It wasn’t politics that led to this decision. Instead, it was the law and unanswered questions between the judge, defense, and prosecution.

Judge’s rejection of Hunter Biden’s plea deal vindicates Republicans W. James Antle III, CNN: “Perhaps there are good reasons for the difference in how the Trump and Biden investigations were handled beyond partisan bias. To be sure, some of the charges against Trump in the classified documents case and January 6 riots have much more serious national and domestic security implications than those against Biden the younger, who was never a political leader. But the voters who will decide the next GOP presidential nominee are not wrong in thinking that something about Hunter Biden’s treatment doesn’t sit right. It’s not surprising this is then channeled into suspicion of the legal cases brought against Trump. While Trump isn’t always an innocent victim, many Republican voters are no more inclined to believe what a Justice Department run by a Biden appointee says about Trump than a news media they deem anti-Trump. Worries about liberal media bias have been common among Republicans since at least Richard Nixon’s administration.”

Republicans Eagerly Celebrate Hunter Biden’s Tax Plea Deal Falling Apart Tori Otten, The New Republic: “Republicans on Wednesday are eagerly celebrating the last-minute collapse of Hunter Biden’s plea deal on tax evasion. … The plea deal has not been outright rejected, but Noreika asked both sides to file additional briefs to further explain the agreement’s legal structure. Still, Republicans have been quick to celebrate Biden’s downfall. ‘His attorneys shouldn’t have lied to the clerk of the court,’ tweeted Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is so desperate to prove Biden committed tax fraud that she waved his nude photos around a congressional hearing. Others on the right accused the entire Biden family of acting as foreign agents and failing to register as such under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, or FARA. ‘The Biden Family cannot take CASH & DIAMONDS from China, Russia, and Ukraine without registering as foreign agents under FARA!’ tweeted Representative Mary Miller. Right-wing influencers like Jack Posobiec, Ian Miles Cheong, and Catturd all also celebrated the collapse of the deal.”

One more opinion piece from the Left: The disintegration of Hunter Biden's plea deal had nothing to do with politics Jessica Levinson, MSNBC

RIGHT-LEANING SENTIMENT

It’s All Bad News for President Biden

President Biden is lying and insulting the intelligence of the American public by continuing to maintain he has no knowledge or involvement.
This sweetheart deal shouldn’t have happened, but now that it’s off the table, President Biden is going to have a harder time winning reelection.
Democrats and the DOJ have actively worked to shield Hunter Biden, but anyone else would have been imprisoned for what he did.

Joe Biden's new claim about Hunter's business deals reveals what he really thinks of voters Jonathan Hurley, FOX News: “Starting with his campaign for the presidency and continuing until recently, President Biden has maintained one clear and consistent position on his son's influence-peddling schemes. As a virtual mantra, Biden — and the White House staff — have categorically maintained that he had no knowledge of any foreign dealings of his son. That has been proven to be a lie, but Biden continued to maintain the position. … It takes an utter contempt for the intelligence of the public to insist that ‘the answer remains the same’ and then give an entirely new answer. However, that is only if most of the public is informed of the contradiction. None of the media in the White House press corps followed up on Turner's questions when Jean-Pierre immediately moved on. … The president assured the public repeatedly and consistently that he never discussed or knew of these dealings even as evidence mounted in contradiction.”

Hunter Biden’s plea implosion a nail in coffin of Joe’s campaign Michael Goodwin, NY Post: “The spectacular collapse of the sweetheart deal of the century isn’t just bad news for Hunter Biden. His father’s political prospects will also suffer a major hit. … The corrupt plea bargain deal never should have been made in the first place. It would have allowed the son to avoid jail time for serious crimes after a probe that whistleblower testimony shows was obstructed to protect the president and his family. Had the deal been finalized, it would have let the president put the son’s legal troubles behind him by declaring it to be a settled matter. It would have been a false claim in any event, but thankfully, he now won’t be able to make it at all. … Widespread coverage of the dramatic court scene will mean more voters will be aware not only of the son’s vast misconduct, but also of the way the Department of Justice and FBI abused their powers to protect the first family. … The stench of government favoritism would inevitably take a toll on a candidate who portrays himself as a champion of the middle class.”

One more opinion piece from the Right: You’d Go to Prison for What Hunter Biden Did Eileen J. O’Connor The Wall Street Journal

FLAG THIS

Americans Split on Whether Hunter Received Preferential Treatment

Before Hunter Biden’s plea deal was rejected this week, a Reuters/Ipsos poll from June 22 revealed that half of Americans believe Hunter received preferential treatment from prosecutors, as the deal would allow him to plead guilty to tax charges and avoid prison time and a gun-related conviction.

It also showed Americans were divided along partisan lines in their views on the case, with 75% of Republicans seeing preferential treatment compared with just 33% of Democrats (Reuters).

FLAG FINDS

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WATERCOOLER

Empire State Building, Air Conditioning Paint, Microwave Stagnation

Workmen clear the wreckage from the crash site.

On This Day in 1945: A United States military plane crashes into the Empire State Building on July 28, 1945, killing 14 people. The freak accident was caused by heavy fog.

Smithsonian Magazine: This Ultra-White Paint May Someday Replace Air Conditioning

Vox: Don’t schedule meetings after 4 pm

Wired: How to Stop Doomscrolling—With Psychology

Today I learned microwave technology has barely evolved in the past few decades. In fact, most countertop microwaves sold in the US are manufactured by just one company, Midea.

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